<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Welcome to our fears by Ben_Phantomhive</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26207626">Welcome to our fears</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ben_Phantomhive/pseuds/Ben_Phantomhive'>Ben_Phantomhive</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast), Welcome to Night Vale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Autistic Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale), Disabled Cecil Palmer, Fighting, Kidnapping, M/M, Trans Carlos (Welcome to Night Vale), feast pit, night vale typical gore, the fears - Freeform, the magnus archives weirdness, welcome to nightvale weirdness</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-31</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 08:14:37</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,179</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26207626</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ben_Phantomhive/pseuds/Ben_Phantomhive</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Are you sure you want to do this?"</p><p>"I know how much figuring this out meant to you, Jon. Of course I want."</p><p>"Thank you, Martin."</p><p>"Alright, Night Vale. Here we come!"</p><p>And then,holding hands,they entered the small town. This is going to be interesting.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Carlos/Cecil Palmer, Martin Blackwood/Jonathan "Jon" Sims | The Archivist</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>40</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>201</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Their arrival</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This chapter was beta-read by my friend and husband Squid uwu.<br/>Warning:while I will try to avoid descriptions they will appear sometimes. If you want to know exactly how I envision them check my instagram @ben_phantomhive or my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash<br/>Hope you enjoy my fic! ^^</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There's a friendly desert community, where the sun is hot, the moon is beautiful and mysterious lights pass overhead while its citizens pretend to sleep.</p><p>Welcome to Night Vale.</p><p>“Hello listeners” -a familiar voice comes on the radio- “Leann Hart, publishing editor of the Night Vale Daily Journal, announced tomorrow that he would release his first original book: Is that a mango? No, that's not a mango. Don't touch the mango. It is a heartbreaking story about how the industrial revolution destroyed the concept of time travel. Wow Leann, that's extremely brave of you! So if you like historically accurate comedies go to your bathroom with a candle, put your head on the toilet and wait for the sunrise. Good luck Leann!”</p><p>There was the creaking of a chair and the sound of rustling papers.</p><p>“Hey listeners, remember my perfect husband Carlos? Of course you remember our hero. Well, he has invited some affiliates of the University of What It Is to stay in our house for a couple of weeks, and I hope they won't scare our um...our dog!” . They are apparently investigating something called “The fears”? Uh. That's kind of weird. Do they mean the kind of dread we all feel when we see those destroyed plushies from our childhood? We know that perfectly! There's no need to study that. However, if they are Carlos' friends they must be kind and interesting people, so I ask all of you to treat them nicely.</p><p>The voice went on on something about the librarians or something regarding it. At least he mentioned them. Or maybe he didn't. Maybe someone just imagined.</p><p>“Oh listeners! Remember Carlos' friends? They have arrived into town! One of them is bigger than the other, though it seems the other is just short. The short one is talking into a... tape recorder? Yep, that's a tape recorder! I feel… I feel there's something weird about them, mostly about the sh- Oh? Oh! Apparently the short man… looked into my eye. That's unsettling... I apologize listeners, I shouldn't be talking like that about our guests, but there's something weirdly familiar about these strangers. While I figure out what it is I take you now to the weather.”</p><p>Ghosting by Mother Mother starts playing. The whole town listens to it. What is this going to mean for our lovely town? Is this going to bring us more danger? Should we keep the strangers out? Are they even strangers? Why do they fit so well with us? Before anyone noticed the weather had already passed.</p><p>“Listeners, I have great news. Guess who called into our station.~”</p><p>“Hello Cecil.” -a small chuckle came through the radio. It was a different voice, and a perfect one.- “I was calling to tell you that our guests have totally made it home alive and fine. Thank you for telling people not to attack them love”</p><p>“Aw, no problem hon. Mind telling our listeners what these strangers are going to do in our little town?”</p><p>“Oh, sure! They are archivists from the Magnus Institute. Their names are Jon and Martin-”</p><p>“Jon is the short one, right? With the tape recorder?”</p><p>“Well yes. Wait, how do you know? Have you talked to them?”</p><p>“Not yet! Looking forward to it. So, what were you saying?”</p><p>“Oh, right! See, I know I told you I understood that Night Vale was just weird and that some things are not logical but they are investigating the hypothesis that maybe the citizens of Night Vale are just people who live comfortably with these identities that they call “fears”. It could explain so much. I'm sure they will be willing to explain it in more detail when you come home.”</p><p>“How sweet of them!”</p><p>“Yeah. By the way should I do paella or fried rice for dinner?”</p><p>“Whatever you want the most babe, you have worked so hard today.”</p><p> </p><p>“Aw thank you kitty. I should leave you now, I don't want to anger station management. Again.”</p><p>“Alright Carlos, I love you”</p><p>“I love you too. Bye!” -the sound of a phone hanging up could be heard, and then an affectionate sigh.</p><p>“Isn't he perfect listeners? He is one of the greatest people in the world, I am so lucky to have such an amazing husband. And he is so intelligent. Have you heard about his friends? What even is an archivist? I may not know what an archivist is, nor what the “fears” are, or what they plan to do in our town. But I do know that they should be welcome in our friendly little town. And maybe they will explain things about our town that we would have never known. We would have lived them, sure, but we would have never truly understood them.<br/>Stay tuned next for the strange sensation of falling through the open air while you are sleep</p><p>Good night, Night Vale.</p><p>Good night.”</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. An avatar of the Eye</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The Archivist and the Voice of Night Vale meet.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So your husband is a radio host?” -the man named Martin started another topic of conversation. Him and Carlos the scientist had been talking while the latter made dinner.</p><p>“Yeah! He used to gush about me on the radio when we met.” -he chuckled.- “He has some problems with self control but it's kind of adorable,sometimes.</p><p>“Aw,he sounds lovely. Jon is a little bit impul-”</p><p>“Im right here Martin” -Jon interrupted from his place on the kitchen table. He did not only look like he hadn't slept in days,that was the usual,but he also looked like he was starving. Which he was,but not for food. When he noticed what he had done he rubbed his temples.- “Im sorry,its just,this place has been keeping me at verge since we stepped on it”</p><p>“I know,it's like we are being watched. It's kind of weird.”</p><p>“Oh,that must be the Secret Sheriff Police! Don't worry,they are usually harmless if you don't break any laws.” -Carlos sounded so normal saying that.</p><p>“A secret police? So this town has like,an authoritarian government or what?.” -Jons chuckle cutted through the air like smelling a gas leak.</p><p>“Yeah,but it's not that bad to be honest. And it's not like they dont let you leave,it's just Night Vale the one that keeps you in it.”</p><p>“He’s here.” -Jons head shooted up. His eyes glowing green,but being barely noticeable</p><p>“What?” -Carlos didn't have time to register what just happened before he heard the front door opening and the familiar clinking of his husband's cane and shoes.</p><p>“I’m home!”-After a couple of seconds the figure of a man who was not tall or short, not thin or fat appeared on the doorway. “Well hello there!” -he started greeting the guests- “My name is Cecil. It's a pleasure to have you here,Carlos has talked so much about you guys.”</p><p>He shook hands with Martin first,who was already standing. Martin made a gesture to,maybe,help Cecil move around the room,but Cecil assured it wasn't necessary,not today at least. He was going to shake Jons hand too when The Archivist quickly pulled his hand away pointing at Cecil's forehead,where a third eye sitted,always watching.</p><p>“You are an avatar of the Eye! You were the one watching us!”-Cecil gave a smile and tilted his head at those statements.</p><p>“I don't know what an avatar of an eye is but yes,I was watching you. And you were just watching me,aren't you?”</p><p>Martin and Carlos looked at each other while Carlos was leaving the food at the table. It seemed like Jon and Cecil would go feral at each other at any moment.</p><p>“...touche. My name's Jon. I'm The Archivist of the Magnus Institute. Carlos talked about us right? What did he say about us?”</p><p>“Jon.”-Martin tried to scold Jon on his behaviour.</p><p>“Hey,it's alright. Well he said you were coming to Night Vale to investigate something called “The fears” or something like that. Which I might ask,what are those? I thought you were archivists,not psychologists or mind readers.”</p><p>A grin creeped its way into Jons face. “Why don't we discuss it over dinner?”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi! How was that? I hope you liked it. I also made some complementary art to this chapter that you can find on my instagram: @ben_phantomhive<br/>Enjoy your next 24 hours ^^</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. The powers of the Eye</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>The outsiders have some weird views.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>As always,if you want to see my designs you can go to my instagram @ben_phantomhive or my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash<br/>Enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So the Fears,or the entities,are these forces that produce supernatural phenomenons. So far we have found 15 fears. They are the Buried,the Corruption,the Dark,the Desolation,the End,the Flesh,the Hunt,the Lonely,the Slaughter,the Spiral,the Stranger,the Vast,the Web,the Extinction and the Eye,which i am an avatar of,and i think you are too. Avatars are basically people who gain powers thanks to a connection with one of the fears,though to become a fully realized avatar you need to basically,um,die”-Jon was trying to explain to the man who doesn't believe in mountains while the other three were eating. He didn't need to eat,not in a physical way.</p><p>“I am not a theologist but those sound like gods.”-Carlos had been listening,he was always so interested in studying new things.</p><p>“Oh yeah some people create cults. We are constantly trying to stop them.”-Martin knew Jon wouldn't talk too much about them,too many bad memories.</p><p>“Yeah,I died dismantling one.” -maybe Martin was wrong.</p><p>“Is that why you don't need to eat? Cause you are dead?”</p><p>That made Jon chuckle a little. To Jon,Cecil seemed like a baby avatar. Even his third eye was watching him curiously. However,there were some things about the radio host that confused Jon.</p><p>“No,it's because I feed on the supernatural stories of people who encountered one of the fears,I do not feed on actual food.”</p><p>“Well you look like you are starving.”</p><p>“Cecil,telling someone they look like they are starving just because they look bad is rude.”-Carlos interjected,not in a scolding way but more like a reminder. Cecil knew Carlos would never say something in bad faith.</p><p>“It's alright,no offense taken,he is right. I haven't taken a single statement in days,and that kind of drains me.”-he left out a sigh that he didn't even notice he was holding.-”We call the stories statements by the way.”</p><p>“Why don't you take a statement from one of us? Im sure Cecil has some interesting stories to tell.”</p><p>“Awww Carlos~ I'm not that interesting.”</p><p>“Cecil, you have been in Night Vale even before it was funded,of course you are interesting. You are like,the biggest scientific mystery I have ever seen.”</p><p>Jon and Martin just saw the little love birds confused,was that flirting? Night Vale was really a mystery.</p><p>“Wait,did Carlos say you were alive even before this city was founded? But that was like,hundred of years ago. How old are you?”-Martin was the first one who snapped out of the confusion</p><p>Cecil smiled,looking at Martin with such intensity that he could almost look through his soul. Not reading his thoughts or anything,just watching.</p><p>“Isn't Carlos food amazing? Why don't we-”-Carlos put a hand on Cecil's shoulder giving it a squeeze.</p><p>“Hey bunny,it's alright,you don't have to answer.”-he gave a smile at Cecil and then turned to the other two.- “Cecil has some problems with his memory and he snaps sometimes. Would that interfere with the statement? If he wants to give one,of course.”</p><p>“Of course I want. I would love to help our new friends! And i am the voice of Night Vale after all”</p><p>“I don't think we have ever gotten a real statement from someone with amnesia,so we will have to see. I will go fetch the recorder.”</p><p>Jon got up and went to get his bag. That was going to be interesting.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Next chapter is going to be fun ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Statement of Cecil Gershwin Palmer</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Statement of Cecil Gershwin Palmer regarding his first day working at the Night Vale Radio Center.</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Warning:this chapter include some implied body horror in the Welcome to Night Vale nature,not explicit.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Jon went back to the table he put the tape recorder down,it was already on.</p><p>“It has been recording the whole time,right?”-Martin examined the recorder. He was used to it,but it was still weird.</p><p>“Yep,the ceaseless watcher doesn't want to stop watching. Who would have guessed it?”-The Archivist chuckled.</p><p>“So they turn on alone?”-Carlos was the only one paying attention. Meanwhile Cecil was just zoning out tracing one of his tattoos.</p><p>“Yeah,that doesn't happen here?”</p><p>“Well radios around Cecil randomly turn on sometimes,and cassettes sometimes appear and they contain some really unsavory though interesting events.”</p><p>“Uh,interesting. Can you like,snap him out of it?”</p><p>“Oh,oh yeah!”-Carlos chuckled, taking one of Cecil's hands.”Cecil,honey,the human world calls to you.”</p><p>Cecil regained focus on Earth and smiled looking at Carlos,though Jon could not shake the uncomfortable feeling when he noticed Cecil's third eye and his eye tattoos were focused on them. Martin cleared his throat to get over that feeling.</p><p>“We should start with the statement now that we have the recorder.”</p><p>“So I just tell you a supernatural story?”</p><p>“With some background,yes.”-Jon was starting to do his thing.-”Also please state your name and subject of experience.”</p><p>“My name is Cecil Gershwin Palmer and I have been working as a radio host on Night Vales Community Radio for most of my life.”<br/>“Statement extracted directly from subject,recording date 29th of august,2020,regarding…”</p><p>“The time I joined the radio station and the consequences this brought.”</p><p>“Alright,statement begins.”</p><p>“I think it's pretty obvious the cultures of Night Vale and other places are very different. There wasn't anything weird about me when I was a toddler. At least not that I know of,my sister Abby and my mother could be lying tho.”</p><p>“Can you give us your mother's name?”</p><p>“No.”-Cecil gave a little chuckle and continued.-”You see,here in Night Vale we have a tradition. When a child turns 5 their life is revealed through prophecies. Mine was that I would be the voice of Night Vale,therefore I was given my Little Reporter's Book of Big Boy Note Taking,where i am always taking notes,even when i dont notice!”-That was true,Jon had seen him taking notes at one point.<br/>“I don't think there's much to say about my childhood. I was average at school,maybe I was good on some subjects,but that didn't matter. I was also part of the Night Vale Scout Boys! It was such a fun time,I even earned a couple of badges myself! I was never keen on that type of stuff tho. What I did like was radio hosting,so at the age of 15 I got my hands on some cassettes and a recorder,which were given by my mother, and started recording things. At first things were kind of normal,but then,each time i recorded or sang,i saw flickering and movement. I have the cassettes if you want to hear them,tho there's some weird things in them. They mention a brother that i certainly do not have but he always told me i didn't have a good voice for radio,but that's ok. I don't know why but once I was recording in front of a mirror? The flickering was so intense and I don't know why or how,or when for that matter,but I ended up...passing out! That may be why I am so scared of mirrors now”-he gave a nervous chuckle and cleared his throat.<br/>“Whoops,I went off the rails there! Back to our main story now. So I did go to college when I was younger,and as part of my internship I decided to apply to the Night Vale Community Radio and it was like,super hard to enter buuut I got the position! My first day of internship was normal. Well,as normal as working with your childhood idol can be of course. When the day was over I was like,really tired,so I decided to go home walking instead of using my bicycle. The thing is,everyone I crossed paths with on my way home seemed scared or confused. When I finally returned home the only one awake was my sister Abby. Mind you,she is a really nice person. She has always taken care of me,even more after our mother disappeared and she had to drop out of school. Which um,she did when I was 14 so . But she came back after that. Anyway you have to understand me that when I saw the look of pure disgust that she made when she laid her eyes upon me I was extremely confused. She was trying to hide it but it didn't work,I saw right through her. She excused herself and went to her room. I also did and laid on my bed pretending to sleep like I do every night. After that my mother disappeared for 3 days,the longest she had ever disappeared. I like to think it was because she was proud. After that people kept looking at me like I had changed into some monster,but I didn't notice anything. They got used to it in time but it was weird. People usually look at me the way they used to now. Except you,you saw something on me. What was it,Archivist?”</p><p>“I saw you were spying on us. In a really powerful,messed up way,and that you serve The Eye.”</p><p>“Uh,weird. You do seem better after my little story.”</p><p>“I still have some questions,but yes,I am better.”</p><p>“You still have questions? Then ask away! I am not going to bite you.”</p><p>“You died when the mirror incident happened,didn't you?”</p><p>“Of course not! I'm alive and well.”</p><p>“Sure. You mentioned you wrote everything on a notebook,could we see it?”</p><p>“Here it is.”-Cecil pulled his Little Reporter's Book of Big Boy Note Taking from who knows where and handed it to Jon who started going through it with Martin.</p><p>“It is endless.”-Martin was amazed by that,and not that a 5 year old could write neatly. A man with priorities. </p><p>“Well death in Night Vale is sometimes meaningless so I think it can be for objects too”-Carlos interjected sharing his perfect knowledge.</p><p>“Makes sense.”-Jon gave back the notebook to Cecil.-”My last question is:you said that the longest your mother had been missing was 3 days,but she disappeared for years when you were 14. Why did you say the longer she went missing was 3 days?”</p><p>Cecil stared at Jon silently for a couple of seconds that felt like an eternity. Every single eye Cecil had,physically or tattooed,was looking at him. Through his soul. Jon started to feel a slight headache,but he isn't receiving anything. Cecil was attacking him. Maybe he was gathering knowledge? No,that would be too painful. Before he could say anything the radio host turned to Carlos smiling.</p><p>“Isn't it getting late? We should go to sleep,you have to work tomorrow. Also we have to call Abby to say good night to Esteban.”</p><p>“Oh,yeah. Sure.”</p><p>“Great.”-He turned to face the other two. His extra eyes were still staring at Jon.-”You do know where the guest room is,right?”-This time Cecil did put that knowledge on Jons mind.</p><p>“Oh,um,yeah. We do.”</p><p>“We do?”-Martin was kind of confused.</p><p>“We really do.”</p><p>“Great! Now,we are going to sleep. It was a pleasure meeting you.”-Cecil standed up with Carlos' help.</p><p>“Yeah. Good night Cecil.”</p><p>“Good night Archivist.”</p><p>Carlos gave them an empathetic smile before they disappeared from sight. Now the room was silent,and kind of tense. Martin took Jons hand and gave it a squeeze.</p><p>“What the hell was that Jon?”</p><p>“I have no idea.”</p><p>“Is he really an avatar?”</p><p>“And a fully realized one.”-Jon sighed leaning a little bit on Martin.</p><p>“But he said he was alive,how could that be?”</p><p>“He...he lied.”</p><p>“He lied? But that's impossible. He can't lie to you”</p><p>“I know Martin,but I know he did. Or maybe he doesn't know. I have no idea.”</p><p>“Can’t you use your powers to,you know,know?”</p><p>“...I can try.”-Jon concentrated hard,really hard,he even squeezed Martin's hand. But when he noticed he wasn't getting anything he grunted.-”Nothing,something is keeping me from it.”</p><p>“....We have gotten ourselves in a mess,right?”</p><p>“Yep,and a deep one.”-He felt Martin put an arm around him.-”...What I do know is that we will have to understand this town before we understand him,and that we need to understand him to understand what happened to this place.”</p><p>“Easier said than done. Do you think we can figure this one out?”</p><p>“We can do it.”-he smiled at Martin and gave him a small peck.-”We will do it,together.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always,you can visit my instagram @ben_phantomhive or my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash to see art related to this fanfic and the characters in it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. The sky is watching</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Not much to say! Just that the sky is Watching.<br/>Enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Jon,wake up”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had gone to sleep a couple of hours ago. And like,alright,sometimes Martin wakes up in the middle of the night and goes for a walk or something but he never woke up Jon. So what was so important to disrupt the only hours of sleep Jon had gotten in that month?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What do you want?”-Jon groaned, burying his face on the pillow.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You have to see this,c’mon. And put some pants on.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Martin went to take one of their bags while Jon fished around the night stand for his glasses and got up to put on pants.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What hell is so bloody important to wak-- ... wow.” -Jon almost tripped when he looked out of the window. There,in the night sky,there was an eye. Looking at them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You see it too right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah”-Jon stared right at the eye,not breaking his eye contact at any point. He kept watching. And watching. And watching. And w-.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jon,lets go.”-Jon was pulled out of his trance by Martin pulling on his arm.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,yeah.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They snuck out of the house into the cool desert night and walked trying to find an open place to watch the eye. They knew what it was,they knew it well. But seeing it again,so suddenly…</span>
</p><p>
  <span>They finally found a park. Not the dog park,a playground,and they sat on a swing set in complete silence for a couple of minutes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is….weird.”-Martin was the first one to break the silence.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you...Do you feel like when...</span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> happened?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Kind of. It's not as strong as before. I mean,I can still feel so much fear but it's like,muted,in a way. It's like background noise. Like things can still happen on top of it. When we were in the apocalypse everything was just fear,it was nothing like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another moment of silence. They were so worried before and now they realized. They were just sitting in a park in a town that wasn't like theirs. It didn't work the same way.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So do you think that is why Cecil was able to lie to you? Because your powers aren't as strong?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not,I could still make people answer things before that happened”-Jon played with his sleeves.-”I have been thinking about it. I have an hypothesis but…”-He sighed,hiding a bit in the neck of his sweater.-”Its stupid,forget it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,no! I mean,Im sure its not stupid,even if it could be wrong.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,that's comforting.”-Jon chuckled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh shut up! You know what I meant.”-Martin also chuckled,he loved Jons smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright then,but don't laugh. Remember Michael?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Gertrudes assistant who she fed into the Spiral? The one you spent an hour drunk crying about once while explaining me his ‘lore’?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yep,that one. He said the distortion,or the Spiral,or whatever lies. That they are delusions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So do you think Cecil lied to you? But you said he was an avatar of the Eye,not the Spiral.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,and he is. But that's the only explanation I can think of.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe he said the truth and he is not an avatar yet.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is an avatar,I can feel it. But if he had powers from the Spiral that would explain why no one wanted to look at him after he went to the radio station,like how looking at Michael was awful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...I mean,this place is weird. It could happen. What about Carlos,anything weird about him?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,he has Hunt vibes.”-Martin chuckled.-”What's so funny?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hunt vibes?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,Hunt vibes. He hunts but like,for knowledge. Remember how hunters affiliated themselves with other entities? Maybe he is affiliated with the Eye. Having Cecil as his husband it wouldn't be so weird,right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you are reading too much into this. Maybe he is just a normal guy who cares too much about science and his hair.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh thank god I'm not the only one who noticed the hair.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course not. Have you seen how obsessed Cecil was with it? I mean,he wouldn't even stop touching it during dinner!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah right? Like,yeah its great but it's not like--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A voice that came from behind them interrupted their gossiping.”Isn't it kinda rude to talk about people when they are not hearing?”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always,you can visit my instagram @ben_phantomhive or my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash to see art related to this fanfic and the characters in it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. The sky holds many secrets</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Both men turned around,Jon set his feet on the ground,just in case they were in danger,but they weren't. For now.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jesus christ Carlos! Do you know how creepy it is to stalk someone at night?!”-Martin tried to calm Jon down by taking his hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,I know. But you guys also roomed around a cryptic town filled with hooded figures in the middle of the night,you have to be more careful.”-Carlos leaned on one of the bone beams of the swingset. He was in his sleeping lab coat and with his hair down</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did Cecil send you to follow us?”-his boyfriend uttered a small cautious “Jon” at that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh for sure! He has very light sleep so even the smallest sounds wake him up and Jon tripping in his pants definitely did so he waked me up to keep an eye on you cause he knows he is not in perfect grounds with Jon and you guys would probably suspect of him if he did it. Anyway he wanted to know why you two snucked out,no hard feelings or anything,he is just curious.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Y-yeah,that. We were kindah,um…”-Martin was horrible at making excuses</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We were creeped out by the sky.”-Jon was not good at making excuses nor needed them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah”-Carlos looked up at the sky.-”That's one of the most fascinating things about Night Vale.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Fascinating?! Do you know what had to happen for that to appear?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon was losing his temper,and Martin didn't want that,so he pulled Jon,who was already standing,closer. That always worked,and it did. Jon calmed down and sighed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I do not know what had to happen. With all the gods and shady government agencies and weird history of this desert I am not even sure if I can put together a coherent timeline,but that is what I find so fascinating of Night Vale,and that is why I stayed here in the first place.”-he was absently playing with his perfect hair.-”This is the most scientifically interesting part of the world,even more interesting that the desert otherworld.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Um Carlos? I'm sorry to say this but to get the sky like that a cult had to end the world…”-Martin was always oh so polite.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,those are normal around here,maybe you will get to see one,or be a part of one. I could find some old tapes of Cecil to see if he mentions anything. Or you could ask him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cecil is a liar. I know he is your husband and you love him but he lied to me even when I used my powers on him.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cecil lying? Well that doesn't sound like him.”-Carlos scratched his beard thinking.-”I mean there was this time he lied about making a hole in our pillow with his antlers but outside of that,without a script,he is a terrible liar.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cant be so terrible if he deceives me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe you weren't trying hard enough,or he didn't remember,I told you he can't remember things sometimes. I can talk to him in the morning if you want,he never lies to me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I...sure,yeah,you can try that. We have nothing to lose…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We may have jumped too fast into the idea of Cecil being something weird.”-Martin chuckled</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He completely is,but thats what I love most about him.”-Carlos smiled looking back again at the sky.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a comfortable silence. They were enjoying the small breeze,and the lights in the sky. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We should really get back home though,it's getting kind of cold.”-as always,the scientist held the only brain cell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were on the path of great discovery. But for now,they needed some rest.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always,you can visit my instagram @ben_phantomhive or my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash to see art related to this fanfic and the characters in it. (I drawed Carlos this time and he is really handsome.)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. A separation.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Sorry for any British readers in advance uwu</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The sun usually rised in Night Vale,not always though,but sadly today was one of those days. It was so annoying to be woken up by the sound of the sun and not the lovely sounds of your alarm screaming at you while you are cuddling your husband. But doubly sad for Carlos,his husband has been waking up much earlier since they had their son,something about old Night Vale traditions that he tried to understand but he was so tired that he just fell asleep to Cecil's voice. But thanks to Cecil waking up earlier than him now he could enjoy a really nice moment of the day.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carlos put on his clothes for the day: his boxers,his binder,a space shirt,his red flannel,high waisted pants,his lab coat and his chewable necklace. Oh,and his shoes! When he came down to the kitchen he saw Cecil preparing breakfast,and he was happy to see his cane propped against the counter,which meant Cecil's pain levels were on the lower end today. He stared at Cecil for a little,it felt like one of those romance movies except Cecil never sang while cooking,something about it being illegal. Carlos walked across the room and hugged Cecil from behind being careful to plant his head between Cecils little antlers.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Someone is touchy today,uh?”- Cecil laughed.-”How did the most perfect scientist in the world sleep?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have slept extremely well,and that's cause you were there. And that's a fact,a scientific one.”-They chuckled and shared a quick kiss.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They would have stayed that way if they didn't hear the sound of rushed footsteps coming down the stairs and a scared Archivist being confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The fucking sun makes a sound?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,you will get used to it,it's not that annoying for most of the day.” -Carlos started setting up the table,leaving a really confused Jon in need of an explanation.- “Can you fetch Martin,please?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uuh,sure,yeah.”- Nor Cecil nor Carlos were prepared for what came next.-”Oi,Martin! Come down back here mate!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a small silence,maybe fetch meant screaming for the British. Cecil was going to express his confusion before they heard another set of footsteps and a sleepy “Good morning.”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Good morning Martin! So do you two want coffee,tea or blood juice?”-Cecil smiled at his husband's excitement while serving breakfast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“O-oh tea is fine for me.” -Martin moved one of the chairs so Jon could sit. Not that he needed it but it was nice having someone to do small things for you.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Coffee for me,as black as possible.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What a tough man.”-Jon scuffed at being teased by his own boyfriend.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Breakfast went surprisingly well,except that Cecil and Jon were having a small discussion about the existence of mountains and Martin could swear he heard radio static and a recorder clicking on at one point. Thank god Carlos was able to put an end to that discussion before it got out of hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was thinking,maybe one of you can come with me today to the lab. My team of scientists is really competent and could answer almost any question. If they are not yelling at potatoes today of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That's a great idea! What do you think Jon?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well Martin likes doing the hard work so he should be the one going.”-Jon was definitely trying to mess with Martin by his smug grin,he learned that from Elias.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,and Jon should go with Cecil today to see if he can find anything out. They seem to be getting along pretty well.-Now Martin could feel Jon scolding him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh definitely! It would be so fun to have you with us today at the studio,Jon!”-Cecil's excitement was adorable.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Then it's settled,you two are going to learn so much today!”</span>
  <span></span><br/>

  <span><br/>
</span>
  <span>Today is going to be so,so fun.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You can visit my instagram @ben_phantomhive or my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash to see art related to this fanfic and the characters in it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. An eye for an eye,a scientist for the Lonely.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Tw:Kevin,Implied kidnapping,The Flesh pit.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Carlos had shown Martin around the lab and presented him to some of his scientists. By the end Martin could barely remember their names,not because he wasn't paying attention but there were just so many. Well,that's a lie. He wasn't paying attention. How can you pay attention when someone is disappointed at potatoes or listening to a plastic flamingo? Luckily he didn't have to interact a lot with them because Carlos guided him to his office,or private lab,or whatever it was,doesn't really matter.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The place was filled with books,fuming bakers and boards with numbers,and also a radio. The place was disorganized but in an aesthetically pleasing way. It was like in those movies about mad scientists where everything is said to be wrong but it's actually cozy. It was...It was perfect.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Your coworkers are nice.”-Martin had just noticed the air was a bit awkward,or maybe it was him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,they are! Usually they are doing much more and running around the lab and Lusia is usually screaming at her potatoes.”-he left his things on his desk carefully.-”Take a sit,im going to search for one of my books.” -and so Martin took his offer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Must be nice working in a place like this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is. Much better than my previous job.”-Carlos’ perfect hair bounced a little each time he reached for one of his books,checked the title and put it back in. It was certainly a view.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Really? What was it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Martin almost missed what Carlos said,he was strangely focused at the desk. It was made of hard dark wood and it had a swirling pattern that swirled to the center in some type of white square decoration. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well I was a professor at an university,it paid well but it was really boring. Like one time I tried to let my students run any experiment they wanted for a project and I got scolded by the principal for not following the program. It's not my fault that the program was so academic and old.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That must have been hard.”-Martin swears he should recognize that desk.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It just seemed familiar. He couldn't place where he had seen a desk like that. In his dreams maybe? Home depot? McDonalds?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you ever get the feeling you don't fit your current life? Like you are clearly you but you can't just fit with your surroundings and you just,isolate yourself?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me about it.”-Martin knew that feeling perfectly. Before working at the institute he was always so...Oh no.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I was so lonely. But then one day I decided to just drop everything and come to Night Vale. I had heard of it before but it was a mystery to the outside world,and it still is! I told a couple of my old students and they wanted to come too so of course I let them. I just contacted the Major and we had a laboratory and funding in less than a day!”-He gestured wildly at all around them,he seemed so excited. Even his eyes were shining a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I've heard that's pretty difficult. I mean the funding and all.”-Martin could not help but smile at Carlos' excitement.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It is! So you have to understand why I didn't even look back. I don't remember how we got here but that's alright,that's a Night Vale thing.”-Carlos pulled out a book,looked at the title and gave it to Martin.-”Here. This book contains most of the history and culture from Night Vale. Not that I have ever read it but it was a gift from one of Cecils interns so it must be accurate.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Martin took the book. It was strangely heavy by how thin it looked. Working at the Magnus Institute he knew better than to trust random books,but honestly he didn't care at this point. He opened the book and glanced over the pages. It was definitely old and the beginning was hand written. It even had pictures of a woman with a deer head and a tall being who was telling some kind of story. Martin could have sworn he saw the drawings moving a little.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how did you meet Cecil? No offense but he doesn't look like the academic scientist type.”-Carlos chuckled at this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He likes science,he is just not very good at it. But we met when I first came to town. We were doing a little bit of a town meeting to inform people we were going to settle for a bit and he was there as an interviewer. He then went on and ranted about my hair on the radio so I don't know what notes he was taking.”-Carlos smiled like he was talking about his crush for the first time.-”Then time passed and we become closer and the next thing I knew is that I had fully settled down on Night Vale doing what I wanted and started a family.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
    <br/>
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw that's so nice! Jon always says he wants to settle down but then at the second some new mystery arrives he is trying to solve it like his life depends on it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe that's his idea of settling down.”-They chuckled. A comfortable,kind chuckle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Martin glanced at the end of the book,it was writing itself in real time: “On that same day a prophet came to the town we all knew as Night Vale.” And at the same time a horrid picture was creating itself. A picture of a man,nor thing nor fat,nor short or tall,and with a horrid smile and black obsidian--</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A knock on the office door caught the attention of both of the men on there. The door opened and a feminine-presenting scientist poked a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Carlos theres a weird guy asking for you,should I tell him to fuck off?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,it's ok,I'm going to check who he is. I can kick him out if he gets too weird.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Martin should have mentioned the worried look Carlos had.</span>
</p><p> </p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“--and then he fed this pit with the flesh of this guy he was deboning.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This wasn't the first time Jon had talked to a public but he had never told stories like this. He knew Cecil was probably getting stories out of him thanks to the Eye but it didn't feel like that. It felt comforting and oddly...oddly neat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What an interesting fellow!”- Cecil was smiling across the table they were sitting at. Jon could see his eye shining a bit on the dark light of the studio. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“There was also this thing who made people walk into non existent doors and then trapped them in its halls. It was like really tall and had really long fingers and this weird laugh. It also hurts a lot to look at it.”-he brought this up to see if he got any reaction from Cecil,which he did.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh I had a friend like that! Havent seen them in a long time but he told me he was planning on travelling a bit around the world so I hope it is safe out there.”-That...that was not what Jon was expecting.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A small static came through both of their headsets but before Cecil could get up to fix it a cheerful voice also came through them replacing the static.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hello Cecil~”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <b>
    <em>You.</em>
  </b>
  <span>”-If Jon wasn't seeing Cecil he could have sworn this was an entirely different man,so full of hatred.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wow how welcoming!”-something about the stranger laughing sent shivers down his spine.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why are you intruding our station again,Kevin?! Nobody wants to hear you!”-Jon could swear he was seeing Cecil's tattoos moving.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How funny you are Cecil! I'm taking a couple of seconds from your broadcast to invite everyone on Night Vale to our annual Feast Pit ritual! They can't really miss it. It's on a big building that looks like a colosseum made of animal bones morphed into bricks! Ugh you would love it!”-Cecil scoffed like he was a lion trying to set a territory.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What good Night Vale citizen would want to go to your stupid ritual? I don't know if you remember this but we kicked you out for a reason,you know?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh but we already have two guests! In fact,they are here right now. Say hi!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hi Cecil.”-All of the sassiness Cecil was feeling went down the drain in a fraction of a second.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh my Carlos,my sweet sweet Carlos what did he do to you? Are you alright? Did he hurt you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don't worry Cecil,we are alright. We are going to be alright.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait ‘we’? Is Martin there?”-Jon never wanted to kill a stranger so much. If he did anything to Martin…</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It's ok Jon,I'm here. I am not hurt. You know I can protect myself.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,right…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyway I gotta leave now. You know how hard it is to prepare such a friendly ritual!”-Kevin laughed,and it didn't sound human. Not at all. Jon could swear he heard Martin make a sound of disgust.-”Luckily I have two really kind fellows helping me. They were the ones who had the idea of inviting Carlos and Martin! Bye!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh you are going to be so sorry about--!”-Cecil gave a small frustrated groan when he realized Kevin was gone and then composed himself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what are we going to do now? Can we do anything?”-He was used to dealing with this stuff but this wasn't London or the institute,this was a weird US town.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...As Carlos always says,a scientist is always fine,and I know he is right. So listeners,while we solve this little problem I take you now,to the weather.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cecil took off his headset and took Jon's arm to pull him out of the studio.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>The Unwanted Animal </span>
  </em>
  <span>by The Amazing Devil came on the air.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always there will be art of this chapter on my instagram @ben_phantomhive and my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash . Hope you liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. The eye doesn't know</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>TW:kidnapping,fighting,passing out,Night Vale typical gore</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Cecil was dragging out Jonathan out of the station by the arm with such an ease that it didn't seem possible that every step he took was slightly filled with pain. The Archivist,however,had his attention on the fact that he was being dragged,and he did not like it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cecil.”-Jon tried to catch Cecil's attention,but it was no use.-”Cecil,look at me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon stopped dead on his tracks and grabbed Cecil's shoulders to turn him around. To face him. The only way he could describe Cecil's expression was that Cecil's mind was racing right now to find a way to get his husband back. Jon squeezed Cecil's shoulders to get his attention and tried to carefully choose his words.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cecil,I know you are worried,but where are we going?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We are going to stop Kevin and rescue Carlos and Martin,but we have to go now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,how are we going to do that?”-Cecil's silence told Jon everything he needed to now.-”Cecil,we can't throw ourselves in without a plan. We need to know what we are going to do.”-Cecil seemed reluctant,but gently touched Jons scarred hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,we are going to think of something but we have to keep going.”-Jon nodded,so Cecil guided him. This time he wasn't being dragged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what do we know about this Kevin guy?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He is a cult leader who is too obsessed with teeth and blood and who now has a ritual that involves a pit apparently.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So he is an avatar of the Flesh with a flesh pit,good. Do you know how we could stop this?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Last time something like this happened Carlos…”-Cecil sighed,worried.-”Carlos got rid of it by burning it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh good thing I brought with me a whole campfire set.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You did?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course not. How are we going to start a fire without nothing?”-Jon sounded mad,but in reality he just didn't like the sand that was getting inside his shoes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You will figure something out,don't worry. We are in a desert after all.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,wait. I will figure something out? What about you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,about that.”-they came to a stop in front of an oak door in the middle of nowhere.-”You are going first,alone.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What?!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey,if I could go with you right now I would,but I have to finish giving today's broadcast. If not station management will kill me,or worse. I will go with you when I'm done.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“But what am I supposed to do?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Go through that door,find the place and try to rescue Carlos and Martin without getting caught. Easy!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am not going through a mysterious door in the middle of the desert.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yes you are.”-Cecil opened the door and grabbed Jons sleeve.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey! What are you-!”-before he could object to anything Jon was thrown through the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He turned around,but the door was already gone. He was going to kill Cecil if he came out alive from this. He took a deep breath and standed up dusting off the sand from his clothes. Sucking up his discomfort he wandered through the desert. And he found what he was looking for. And he got in. He did not,however,realize Cecil should be with him by now. Time is weird.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He entered through a small hole in one of the walls and thanked his height for the first time in his life. Wherever he was in,he was in a darker hallway illuminated only by small holes on the walls that let in the moonlight. Jon walked a bit through the hallways trying to find something,anything. While walking he saw a small hole on the wall,but he could swear this one did not lead to the outside. When he looked through it,he could not believe his eyes. He could see the center of the colosseum. A big,endless pit with teeth. Near it stood...himself. But a twisted version of himself. His clothes were ripped and stained in black splotches of liquid. He had opened wounds that still bled and his eyes were darker than anything he had ever seen. He couldn't make out what he had hanging from his neck as he could not look away from his smile. No. That was not a smile. That was something horrific. He also saw a person in black attire,but he could not make out who it was. Without warning he felt a clothed hard hand covering his mouth and pulling him away from the hole.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He squirmed and bit and twisted but he was not let go off. He was promptly thrown into a room. His body was being filled by adrenaline and he could hear his blood rushing to his ears,but he also heard another thing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jon! Move!”-Martin?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon heard the warning and looked up to see the same hand reaching to him,but he moved out of its way and stood up. He quickly scanned the room. First thing he saw was Martin and Carlos tied up. That was not good. Next thing he saw was his kidnapper. He quickly recognized those features as Cecil’s,but twisted in the same way that he saw on his own doppelganger. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh come now! If you wanted that type of friendship you could have just told me!”-he pinpointed the voice as Kevin’s. Who tried to attack him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Thankfully,Jon had fighted with monsters more than one,so he could keep up with a little fight. Except this time he couldn't. He was quickly pinned to the ground,which luckily,was solid. But he was smart. He wasn't going to be beat.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why is your eye stitched close?”-The Archivist was very observant.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me what happened to your eye.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon felt Kevins grip weaken,and he took this chance to flip the tables. Now Kevin was the one pinned,but Jon was not the one winning,The Archivist was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Tell me your story”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Kevin stammered,confused,scared,and trying not to talk. Jons gaze upon him was intense,and it burned. It reached into every cell and organ and teeth on his body. Into every memory and nightmare and desire. Into every fear.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But Jon went numb as he got knocked out. The Archivist had failed.</span>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always there will be art of this chapter on my instagram @ben_phantomhive and my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash . Hope you liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0010"><h2>10. He doesn't care</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoy this chapter! <br/>TW:murder threats,Jon and Carlos fight a bit,Night Vale clones.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jon woke up by a ray of sun hitting his eyes. Everything hurt,but right now what hurt the most was the back of his head. He tried to lift his hand to touch it but quickly he became aware that he was tightly restrained. He opened his eyes to look around the room and the first thing he recognized was his boyfriend sitting in a chair in the same room he was,in a black funerary attire,reading something. He felt off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Martin…?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jon,you are awake!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The voice came from somewhere else. When Jon turned to the voice he noticed he had been wrong. Now this was Martin. </span>
  <em>
    <span>His </span>
  </em>
  <span>Martin. The other one was like that monster he saw that resembled him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How do you feel Jon?”-Oh good,Carlos.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You tried to fight against Kevin using your powers but you got too greedy”-He wasn't scolding him,just telling him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You should have stopped when you could Jon,we have talked about it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright,I get it,I fucked up,jeez.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I must say,every outcome of you trying to fight Kevin was going to end up with you either dead or unconscious.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...I don't like you.”-Jon tried to mutter this,but he was not the best at being quiet.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Excuse me? I am only stating facts. You can't win against a literal genocidal being who now apparently has a pit.You are small,and weak,and you can't control the powers you have.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well at least I am doing something,not like your husband.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ok,that's enough. You two cut it off.”-Martin was apparently the only one who could see they were kidnapped and probably about to get killed.-”Carlos,Jon was trying to save us. And I know you didn't mean to be rude but he knows what he did couldn't end well. And Jon,we don't know what Cecil is doing. We may be wrong,maybe he is coming.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Martin its day time,when i came here it was almost midnight. He is not coming to save us. He doesn't care about us.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cecil cares about everyone,you don't know him. He is a kind person that would save even those he hates. I know he would.”-Carlos did not doubt his husband,not even a little. But he was biased.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am sorry to interrupt your argument but he is definitely not coming.”-The thing that resembled Martin spoke closing his book. It...He looked at them,even without eyes. Jon could not see anything inside him. He was so creeped out by this monster. Well not creeped out,but it did make him uncomfortable. While he usually loved not knowing stuff this was terrifying.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Says who?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look,I am not interested in fighting any of you--”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jon can't you just smite him or something?”-The monster looked mildly annoyed at Martin.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No he can't,this place is a blind spot for the Eye. Now,as I was saying,I am not interested in fighting any of you or making you suffer,not right now. I am going to advise you not to fight,that will grant you a quick death.”-Jon scuffed at this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Opposed to what?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Opposed to being torn apart by the others. Maybe Kevin would be a little bit more polite,but Nate has no restrictions.”-Completely unaffected with what he had just said the man gave the faintest smile touching something attached to his choker. When Jon recognized what it was he couldn't help but be nauseous. It was a rib,and if he was thinking right,that wasn't from that man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Nate? Who are you talking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now Archivist,that would be me!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Another figure entered the room,it was his double.He had seen him already but he was still incredibly creepy. Now with the sunshine he could make out his features better,and it was the most awful sight Jon had seen in years. His eyes were drawn to Nate's neck where it hung a simple rope with an eye attached to it. Not the symbol of an eye,a real one. It was a blue eye,and he couldn't help but look worried at Martin and his two blue eyes still in place. The same could not be said about his double.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So glad you are finally awake! Sorry for hitting you by the way,but you were making kidnapping you really difficult.”-Martin made a grossed out sound as Nate laughed.-”Anyway,I am Nate and this is my boyfriend Matthew. He was the one who talked me out of throwing you into the pit already.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don't rush it love,death comes for everyone,sooner or later.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Didnt you want to set us on fire at first?”-Carlos apparently didn't understand the amount of danger they were in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,sorry about that. Won't happen again.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It certainly won't,cause our pit is ready! You guys will be the first one to try it,how do you feel about that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,it feels wonderful. Is there a chance we could talk to Kevin before the ceremony?”-What was Carlos trying to make?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh no,sorry darling. He is so busy. But don't worry,we will make sure everything is perfect.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that they were escorted to the main area,and Jon had already faced it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were going to die.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always there will be art of this chapter on my instagram @ben_phantomhive and my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash . Hope you liked it! I also finished this years magtober so definetely check it out too,Im really proud of most of the drawings.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0011"><h2>11. The eye is fond of you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>So before the chapter begins,I have to legally say I did not break into Jonny's house to steal the doubles idea XD<br/>Anyway,enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The Feast Pit was massive. And terrifying. If Jon wasn’t about to be part of its feast he would be the one feasting off it. The Eye was so,so cruel. He could hear his subconscious,narrating the fear that those pointy teeth emerging from it caused. He could hear it wanting to devour those poor fools unlucky enough to be its prey. And in the real world he could hear the happiness of the followers of The Flesh watching impatiently their precious pit with hunger on their core. And he could feel in the structure of his bones the joy of The Prophet. Kevin was so happy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“My dear,amazing siblings. Today we are here united to witness one of the most wonderful and joyful moment of our lifes. We were misguided before,but now,here we have before us just what our Smiling God wants from us. To show our love to those who deserve it. Please welcome tightly The Archivist,Jonathan Sims,his companion and partner,Martin Blackwood,and our dear,dear Carlos.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A huge uproar emerged from the followers,and Carlos flinched at this. Disgusted or scared,Jon did not know. They were so excited to know the three of them were about to die.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They were seated on one of the walls of the colosseum while Kevin continued his speech and presented his new “saints'',Nate and Matthew. Realization struck Jon and he couldn't help but reach for Martin's hand and squeeze it as hard as he was able to. It hurt. Not only physically,but knowing the last touch he was going to give to his love was going to be a scarred and angerful one hurt him deeply on his mind. Maybe it was hurting him,but terrifying him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...He is really not going to come”-Martin sighed, defeated.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,it seems like that.”-Jon ran his thumb on the back of Martin's hand. And he thought. He decided to not let his last moments paint him as an asshole.-”Hey,Carlos?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh? Yeah?”- Carlos snapped from his thoughts. Jon noticed he was desperate,even if he didnt know it or show it. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am sorry about what I said back there. I don't think Cecil is going to come.”-Jon took a deep breath.-”But I know he cares about you,and Esteban,and most likely...us. It was very mean of me to say he didn't,and I was wrong.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carlos looked at Jon,puzzled by his sudden attitude,but smiled. A kind,warm smile. Just before being pulled away by the monster called Nate.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw,what a shame the Flesh wants to take you,you are really cute. You would make a perfect avatar.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,thanks.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then he was pushed toward the Feast Pit. And then Kevin gave a small speech with some tiny hesitation lingering on his voice. And then he was about to die. And then Carlos gasped after noticing something. And then a familiar voice sounded from somewhere on the building.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Leave my husband alone!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then the sky went dark.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>As always there will be art of this chapter on my instagram @ben_phantomhive and my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash . Hope you liked it!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0012"><h2>12. The Voice of Night Vale</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I'm so busy with exams you people are lucky I could write this :,) Anyway this chapter is a little bit heavier (TMAstyle) so read the TWs if you are unsure you should read this chapter<br/>Tw: Supposed character death,Cecil ceaseless watcher's some ass.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Do I have to speak twice? Leave. Him. </span>
  <b>
    <em>Alone</em>
  </b>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Carlos had never seen Cecil like this,Jon and Martin didn't even think it was possible for Cecil to look like that. Mist followed each every step. And each and every step was accompanied by pain. And the pain? The pain only fueled his reage, But the differences were not only visible in his behaviour. That was intimidating. But the way his cute friendly antlers grew into sharp and dangerous weapons and the way his eye and tattoos glowed was scary. And the way his small fluffy deer tail had grown into a strong and long tail that kept cutting the sand and the way his colourfully mismatched nails had grown into edges with the intention to cut through anything was terrifying. This wasn't the upbeat pacific radio host that Jon had known. This was the Voice of Night Vale,ready to do anything for its people. And this,the Archivist,knew.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And for all the monsters Jon and Martin had met,they didn't even expect what Nate was capable of. For all the stabs and burns and cuts Jon had gotten,he couldn't picture something like that. For all the neglect and abuse and instability that Martin had endured,he never thought of anyone being capable of that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Nate just,pushed Carlos into the Pit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And then he turned to Cecil with a horrid smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And that smile didn't even last a single miserable second.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Then Cecil just simply started walking towards Nate. ANot mad,not sad,just sorry</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What a pity. Such a waste of a human.”-And Cecil kept advancing,and Nate tried to back off.-”Where did it go wrong? Where,exactly,did you start wanting to hurt those who crossed your path? No,those who didn't even wrong you? Strangers? Friends? Lovers? You were so loved.”-Nater turned around,anguished,trying to look for his love. For his anchor. But he was not there. He was so alone now.-”But that life is so far away now. Now you just cause fear on others.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Nate sobbed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And you make others fear </span>
  <em>
    <span>you.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Cecil approached.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“And now you feel all the fear and dread that all your victims and friends and lovers felt because of you.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Nate flinched just as Cecil raised his hand. He did touch him. But it was a gentle touch. The type of touch you give to a recently rescued kitten.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you care about them now?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon and Martin had heard that sound many times. The sound of someone disintegrating.Of the Eye consuming someone. Estatic. Screaming. Nothing. Silence. The silence of fear. Of loss. Of a situation dying down. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cecil once said that time wouldn't hurt you. That the future rushed in,that it was scary,but that it flinched and gently settled in and became the present. That then it became the past,and that it couldn't touch you anymore. But he realized he was wrong. So wrong. And as this realization settled in he tried to wipe a tear off his face and as he was about to break,a laugh was heard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Was that door there before?</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was really nervous about writing this last two chapters but they came out great! Anyway this fanfic will not ignore canon even with this recent TMA episode ;) let's see how I figure this out<br/>Anyway tomorrow I'm uploading the art for this chapter over on my Instagram @ben_phantomhive and on my Tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0013"><h2>13. An unlikely visitor</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I have waited THREE MONTHS to write about my husband. Also agender Jon rights</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Oh V,that was so out of character.”-Its laugh sounded like a headache.-”You put on such a show!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A tall figure with sharp hands and straw coloured hair stepped out the new yellow door. And while Jon and Martin were sure this was,to put it simply,extremely impossible,Cecil just gave a sad smile to the being called Michael.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“This is not the best time for a visit Michael.”-Even if he was saying that,Cecil was grateful to see a familiar being in all this chaos.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ow that's sad to hear. What happened?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cecil hesitated with his words,both out of his thoughts being a mess and physical exhaustion.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Carlos is...my husband is not…”-Cecil took a deep breath.-”Carlos just lost his life and that makes me...sad?”-It was clear Cecil knew how to deal with Michael. Except Michael laughing at this caught Cecil off guard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh V-pal,I thought you knew how this place works.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And just while he was saying this a confused Carlos with his perfect hair in tangles stepped out of a door that was definitely not there. He was also shaken by being on Michaels halls but it was better than being dead. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Cecil?”-Cecil could not stop staring at his husband in disbelief.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Carlos!”-And then he just runned to his husband barely restricting himself from launching into his husband's arms at full force.-”Oh god I thought you were dead!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I told you a scientist is always fine.”-They chuckled,a little inside joke to break the biggest tension they had ever felt.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can I touch you? Cause I really really wanna kiss your face right now.”-Cecil didn't even finish that sentence when he was being pulled closer.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Sweetheart I almost died,you don't even need to ask.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And they kissed. Hard. And maybe it hurt a little but they almost lost each other forever,and that pushed them together harder.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Anyway I'm like,about to pass out so like catch me.”-And before Carlos could object to it an exhausted Cecil was already passing out in his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After wistening this scene the being known as Michael started his walk towards the other people in the scene.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“They make a really good couple don't they?”-Michael laughed cutting the binds restraining both of them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you doing here?”-Jon was buying none of its bulshit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I dont know what you mean,Archivist.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I think what Jon means is that he saw you die.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Die?”-the figure laughed.-”How can something that isn't alive die? And regardless of that,those are not the norms of this place. Time here is less complicated than in your environment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not that you would care about norms,would you?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Why so snappy Archivist? I haven't seen you in a long time.”-If Jon could look at Michaels face he would see a small pout on its face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well taking away the fact that the last time I saw you you tried to kill me,”-Michael gave an uncomfortable giggle at this.-”we know the nature of the Distortion. Why are you helping us? What are you trying to get?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am not trying to get anything Archivist. I am just helping an old friend,and you just happen to be here. You are the one actively searching for these problems.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The being offered a hand to both Jon and Martin to help them get up,but only Martin took it. Jon was too careful to take its hand. The three of them walked up to Carlos who was carefully cradling his unconscious husband in his arms.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is he alright?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,just very tired. He will be fine.”-Carlos held his husband slightly closer. He was still worried even if he knew he was going to be alright.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“That's lovely!”-Michael opened a new door showing its swirly interior.-”But unless you want to walk all the way back to Night Vale we should go now. The way back there is a bit complicated.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Last time I checked i was ‘too powerful’ to enter the halls.”-Jon crossed his arm looking up at where he thought Michaels face was but he just got a snort in response.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am sure I can hold a little man like you. Now gentlemen and gentlefolk,are you coming?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The three people looked at each other unsure of what to do and then they just stepped in.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>This was going to be one hell of a trip.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Did you enjoy it? Well you will be able to enjoy some art of this chapter over on my instagram @ben_phantomhive and my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash ! See you next Sunday</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0014"><h2>14. A door to a friend</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Before reading,I want to say that this chapter and the last one were written to show that time works different inside and outside of Night Vale and I used Michael,canonically dead in TMA,to show that. This was written before episode 187,that's why Helen wasn't chosen to do this.<br/>Anyway,enjoy the chapter!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>They had been walking for a while now,the silence only being broken by the static coming out from Jon’s tape recorder somewhere on his person. But that constant almost-silence was replaced by Martin’s curiosity.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So...you and Cecil are friends?”-This was met with an annoyed look from the being called Michael.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don't understand what is so hard to believe from that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We learned that your thing is being a false friend so pardon me for believing that.”-This ripped a laugh from Michael.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Says the person whose whole ‘thing’ is being alone but has a boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...Yeah,no. That 's fair.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A tense silence filled the air for a couple of seconds until another voice interrupted it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“How did you meet Cecil?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Now,now,Archivist. Are you getting hungry?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe,or maybe I'm just trying to piece you together.”Jon scoffed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can you piece together a puzzle if you have too many extra pieces?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“With a lot of patience,yes.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Indeed,a puzzle becomes way easier if you start by its corners.”-Martin almost jumped at hearing Carlos chime in.-”Having a rough outline helps to fill the little details.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Don't give him any ideas,he might take your advice.”-Michael playfully teased Carlos.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Actually I might take it. So,you are the distortion of Michael Shelley which should be dead but it isn't. You trap people in your halls and eat them. You also stabbed me once.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No hard feelings.”-Michael grinned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No hard feelings,it's alright. I can only guess Cecil entered your halls,as I have read that your victims in the real world don't gain any powers but he did gain some.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is that so?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Lydia Halligan,gave statement 0156806,had fatal insomnia. But that doesn't matter. How and why did you and Cecil become friends?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Are you trying to take a statement? You know how that ended last time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I am not asking about your feelings of revenge this time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>There was a small silence between them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...I met Cecil when he was an intern. In fact,it was his first day as such. You know how I feel about human life but at that time I was more concerned by the fact that one of my doors appeared in a place where it shouldn't have been.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Time in Night Vale is weird,but it makes far morse sense that time outside of Night Vale. If I remember correctly this must have been before the first World War. Michael Shelley wouldn't be born for another...40 years. I only said that date because I can only clearly recall when Cecil became a radio host so it must have been before that.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I am sorry I cannot communicate to you the feeling of this timeline making sense but believe me,Archivist,when I say it does.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He was fairly young,I believe he was still in university. I know I didn't try to take him but somehow he found his way into one of my doors while going to the station’s bathroom. I ended up finding him unconscious in one of the halls near my heart in front of a broken mirror. I have a great sense of the twisting of my halls but it took me a long time to find him. I want you to understand that even Michael had trouble navigating me whole having a map so the fact that Cecil could elude me so easily was not only frustrating but concerning.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I was trying to figure out what he was when he woke up. When people see me they usually run or scream so you must comprehend my surprise when he looked directly into me and smiled. I think he commented something about my face. This made me avoid my purpose and try to understand Cecil.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>I don't exactly know how this happened but we ended up becoming friends. While I did trick him to go through my door a couple of times he usually seeked them. I do not know how he found them. Cecil has met my original form a couple of times and I'm sure he has met some of my past and future forms. I have also seen a couple of versions of hm. He came to see me when he became a radio host,while he was in Europe,he even came to gush about Carlos when he met him.”-This was a side of the distortion Jon didn't know about.-”I have also seen older versions of Cecil but I am choosing to keep those between us.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A small silence fell between the people wandering the halls as the creature finished its story. Jon took in his surroundings,no longer focusing on the statement. The colour whirling in the walls was purple now and if he squinted enough he could swear they were in a school.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is Helen in this halls too?”-Martin was too curious sometimes.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We try not to encounter each other but yes,here we share the halls. We won't see her though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Uh,well that’s...good.”-Another silence.-”How are you doing,Carlos?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Mm?”-Carlos wasn't exactly paying attention but he quickly processed the questuon.-”Oh,I'm fine I guess. Just feeling the adrenaline from almost dying getting lower.”-Jon snorted receiving a little sush from a Martin who was also trying not to laugh.-”I mean this stuff is not new,I'm used to this. Been living in Night Vale for almost a decade.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Wait,you have already seen this?”-Jon gestured around.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,got trapped in a house that didn't exist but it seemed like it did when you looked at it and I have used doors to travel around in the past. This is just more colorful.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah yes,the house.”-Michael laughed.-”That one was Helen’s ideas. I didn't think anyone would fall for it.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The creature stopped in front of a door that looked like paint had exploded in front of it and opened it. It led to the parking lot of Big Rico’s Pizza.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“As much as I loved our conversation I am going to politely ask you to leave.”-Michael smiled at them.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,thanks!”-Martin smiled back and stepped out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If you ever need my help just tell Cecil. And take care of your family.”-Carlos nodded at this and stepped out.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hope I don't have to see you again.”-Jon remarked as he also crossed the doorway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“The feeling is mutual,Archivist.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before they knew it the door disappeared.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hope you enjoyed this chapter,we are almost done!!! I will be posting some bonus content over in my Instagram @ben_phantomhive and my Tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0015"><h2>15. A friendship to behold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Jon stood in front of a door hesitating between knocking or not. It was the door to Carlos and Cecil’s room. In reality,he wasn't deciding. He knew he had to knock. He had volunteered himself to bring Cecil food as his chronic illness added to what happened a few days back had left him unable to get out of bed,so Jon decided to make up for his mistakes by helping around. However,that wasn't what was making Jon nervous,he wanted to talk. It was better to rip the band aid off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He knocked.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He didn't receive an answer so he carefully opened the door.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The curtains were drawn and the blinds were down,the only illumination in the room coming from dim fairy lights with the form of little lab beakers and from Cecil’s tattoos. He was laying on his side with his back turned to Jon,his eye tattoos looking at him. Not all of them thought,some were closed or looking vacantly. Jon could swear he would get a migraine if he tried to make out what Cecil’s pyjamas were.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon entered the room,closing the door behind him and making his way over to the bed. He left the tray of food on the nightstand,gently nudging Cecil to wake him up being answered by a small groan.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I um. I brought you food.”-Jon talked in a hushed,heavy voice.-”Do you need help sitting up?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cecil nodded starting to shift a little,sitting up with the help of Jon. He rubbed his wrist cracking a couple of joints in the process while Jon fetched a bed table and put the tray on it,receiving a small thank you from Cecil. While he ate,Jon went around the room tidying up what he could slightly absent minded,which Cecil noticed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What are you thinking about?”-Cecil was gentle when talking to people most of the time,which made people want to open up to him. Or maybe it was the Eye.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...I am sorry for being an asshole before.”-Cecil chuckled.-”I tried to understand you from a really academic and...misinformed point forgetting that you are an actual person and I treated you as if you were about to kill me or something like that.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It's alright,I know you are not used to this stuff.”-he sighed, cracking his fingers.-”Carlos was also scared when he first came here. Everyone needs a period of adjustment.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know,but...I tried to understand a culture that wasn't mine with the thought that it was dangerous.”-Cecil hummed at this.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,that is wrong. But it's understandable,you have been hurt by this stuff,so it's normal you were wary.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cecil patted the spot of the bed at his side and Jon took a seat on it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I still want to apologize,and if there’s anyway I can make up for it just...tell me.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“If it's so important to you then I accept your apology. As for making up,I want you to answer a question. If that is ok.”-Jon looked up at Cecil with a slight frown.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Of course.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Do you think I am a bad person,Archivist?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The air became tense,heavy. Jon squinted a little trying to read Cecil,who was looking at Jon with a vague look and a faint smile.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I don't understand the...reasons for the question.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Jon,I killed someone.”-Cecil sighed and looked away.-”Yes,that guy was a bad person and a murderer himself but he was still a person. I am a pacifist,I don't believe in killing people.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...What happened to Matthew? The uh,the other guy. Nate’s boyfriend.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He got sent into...how did you call it?”-Cecil try to remember.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The lonely?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah,that. He is alive though.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Right,right.”-Jon played with the sleeves of his sweater.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what do you think,Archivist? Am I a bad person?”-his gaze was on Jon once again piercing through him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“...No,I don't think so.”-Cecil laughed at this,a slow pained laughed,but a relieved one.-”What? I really think you are a good person. You are kind and care for others. What's so funny!?”-Jon had only so much patience.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You are a good person too,Jon.”-Cecil smiled and squeezed Jons hand.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon didn't know why that struck him so...deep. But it did. He needed to hear that. After so many wrong choices he had forgotten that making them doesn't make him a bad person,sometimes it just means that there aren't right choices.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After that they went silent. A good silence. They didn't need to talk but they were having a good time. It was clear that after putting their differences aside they were quickly unlocking a deep friendship. They understood each other and while their personalities were not similar they had a lot in common.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maybe the Archivist and the Voice of Night Vale could be friends.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I was really nervous abaout writing this chapter but I ended up liking where it went. Also im pretty sure this is our second to last chapter :,) (tho I have more ideas for more fics so)<br/>As always I will upload some art related to this chapter over in my instagram @ben_phantomhive and my tumblr @ben-phantomhive-trash<br/>Bye!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0016"><h2>16. Statement ends</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>We have finally reached our last chapter! I am so emotional about this. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have enjoyed writing this,it has been a pleasure. See you at the note's on the end!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Has he finally gone nuts?”-Melanie scoffed while petting The Admiral. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon and Martin had called Bassira,Melanie and Georgie into...Georgie’s house. They had been frantic since they came back from their holiday in America.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>See,they were already used to the supernatural,so it didn't come as a surprise when they were told by Martin they had found  a town full of these things. What worried them was how Jon was ranting about  the world ending and how he befriended an immortal being. But what put the cherry on top of everything was Jon tinkering with an old radio that no one really knew he owned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not yet.”-Martin laughed.-”This is actually real. Let me just,um…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Martin got his backpack and fished around for something. They hadn’t even left their things at their home,and Gerogie could be heard scolding Jon and telling him he would have to clean all the sand they had spreaded around the house.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Martin seemed to find whatever he was searching for and then pulled out a book,taking out a piece of paper from it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“ Remember that Cecil guy we told you about?-Melanie nodded feeling Bassira peek over her shoulder.-”He has the cutest child to ever exist! And he made us this. His husband also gifted us a book.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Matin handed Melanie the book and,noticing Bassira was interested too,handed her the piece of paper.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Martin,I'm telling this to you from the place of our friendship,you know I can't-Oh!”-Melanie was going to rightfully call out Martin on the fact that he forgot she was blind but she got a surprise when she opened the book and,after touching one of the pages,noticed the small bulges she had started to recognize as letters and words. Apparently the book changed to be accessible to everyone. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh,fuck,yeah,sorry. I forgot-”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No,no! I can read it! Wait,is it writing itself?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah! We told you all this was real.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh thank god,I thought you guys just got really high and went to a child's hospital or something.”-Bassira handed back the paper to Martin. It was a child’s drawing of Jon and Martin in a desert with their names written under each of them. Of course,Jon’s name was written as “John”.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I can't believe you got an eldritch radio inside my home.”-Georgie scolded Jon as if he was a cat eating plastic. Which was,in all fairness,an accurate paralel.-”Also who gave you that hat? It's giving me a headache”-She tried to touch Jon’s beanie but he recoiled hyperfixated on trying to get the radio,that looked like it had been through a nuclear war,to work.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“A friend gave it to me. Anyway,you have to hear this! You will lov-Aha!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Every conversation going on in the room died off,killed by the sound of static. Jon smiled when he got the right frequency as the Voice of Night Vale,best known as Cecil Gershwin Palmer,came through the radio.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah,listeners,you don't know how refreshing it is to finally be back to the studio! Do you know when you let someone use your desk chair and they adjust it to </span>
  <em>
    <span>their</span>
  </em>
  <span> preferences and you tell them it's alright but you are just trying to be nice? Yeah”-the sound of a chair being adjusted could be heard.-”Anyway,how has your weekend been? Mine’s been exciting. Remember the event our...unwanted guest talked about? Yeah,so,long story short,my perfect Carlos and our lovely researchers,Jon and Martin,remember them? Pretty sure I heard Jon traumatised one of you. What a lucky individual.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon pushed his lips a bit together as he noticed the glances of everyone in the room fall on him letting out a little nervous laugh.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What was I talking about? Oh,yeah! So Carlos and our guests got kidnapped by Kebin so I obviously went to take them back and you won't believe this, listeners. They had their own clones!  Luckily,we got out of that gruesome and ugly place with the help of an old childhood friend. Has something like this ever happened to you? Ugh,I remember how my first ritual went. Didn't even like that guy so much.”-There was a slightly bummed out silence.-”And now,a word from our sponsors. Keep running. Keep. Running. You have no choice. You don't know what's out there. You know what you have done. You can't stop now. Don't stop. Keep. Runnin.”-There was a small silence,except Jon could be heard holding down a laugh that was slowly creeping into Melanie.-”Fiji water. Always with you. </span>
  <b>
    <em>Always</em>
  </b>
  <span>.”-This just sent Melanie and Jon into a hysterical laughing fit that pulled Bassira into it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Listeners,you have no idea how much I miss our kind guests already.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw,he misses you.~”-Georgie poked Jon’s cheek and he just rolled his eyes while smiling.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Like,we had our ups and downs and we almost died and I blacked out for a while but it has reminded me so much of my younger days,you know? Those were the days. Oh would you look at that listeners! My husband,and the best scientist in the world,is calling me. While I take this call I take you now to the weather.”-And with that, </span>
  <span>Hola Adriana</span>
  <span> from Bearghost started playing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey um,question. What the fuck was that?”-With that the whole room erupted in laughter and Martin shrugged in Bassiras' direction. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Carlos did say they genuinely can tell the weather by this.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No offense Jon but how do you always befriend anyone who is the opposite of you?”-Melanie walked to sit nearer the radio.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Look,talking to this man feels like 3am sink water. You would too.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Everyone stopped talking when the song ended.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hey listeners,guess who we have on air with us today.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“He Cecil~.”-A beautiful oaky voice came through the radio and they both laughed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Is it getting hot in here or is it just me?”-Melanie pushed Georgie playfully as she fanned herself.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So what is the love of my life calling for today?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I heard you were talking about Kevin's Feast Pit and I wanted to let your listeners know that we are already taking care of it so they don't have to worry about it. I also wanted to tell you I made pasta salad for dinner and I know that would make you so happy that you will squeal the second you hang up.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh you know me so well,dear.” -They both giggle.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I have to leave you know,Luisa is crying because she thought she was being too mean to her potatoes and I have to tell her they completely forgive her.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Aw,you are always so sweet. I love you babe.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I love you too Cecil.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>And Carlos was right. Just as the call ended,Cecil squealed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Ah listeners,how did end up so lucky? Carlos is just...amazing. And to think a decade ago I didn't even know of his existence. Time is so weird. One day you are listening to emo bands in the station bathroom and the next day you are married and have a beautiful family. May time work the same way for all of you listeners. May time be weird.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jon held Martin's hand and squeezed it.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Melanie leaned into Georgie and she embraced her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Bassira petted The Admiral and he booped her nose.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Stay tuned for some facts about giraffes and strawberries by a guy who has no idea of what he is talking about.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Good night,Night Vale.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>Good night</b>
  <span>.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>You have succesfully reached the end of this adventure! I will maybe do a bonus chapter at some point but no promises.<br/>As always,you will find art related to this chapter on my instagram @ben_phantomhive and my tumbler @ben-phantomhive-trash<br/>See you on the next adventure! And have a swell evening.</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I plan to upload every Sunday,so see you next week!</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>